10 restomods ready for Radwood
Radwood-era cars of the 1980s and 1990s are the new hot classics. Largely ignored and undervalued for decades, they’re now among the most aspirational automobiles, and prices are soaring.
The increase in appreciation for these modern classics has made them ripe for resto-modding, adding 21st-century power, performance, and luxury features that even the creators of Back to The Future couldn’t have imagined.
Here are ten examples of Radwood-ready restomods you can buy today.
DeLorean Industries DMC-12
Fittingly, we begin with the ultimate star car of the ’80s: the DeLorean DMC-12. DeLorean Industries of Akron, Ohio, will refit Doc Brown’s radical ride with a huge variety of upgrades. (In case you hadn’t heard of the Ohio DeLorean, you aren’t crazy; several companies are claiming the DeLorean name.) You can add a turbo to the original Renault motor or swap it for an LS3 V-8, a five-liter Ford Coyote V-8, a 2.3-liter Ecoboost, or even the all-electric running gear from a Mustang Mach-E. Steering and suspension can be appropriately updated, and Akron will also restore the interior trim and stainless steel bodywork.
Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer
Singer is probably the most high-profile (and high-priced) player in the restomod game. The California company began restoring Porsches in 2009,sStarting with mid-Rad 964-chassis 911s (1989–1994). Its latest Dynamics & Lightweighting Study (DLS) Turbo Study is its most powerful build to date, offering 700 hp, or around double the output of the original.
Nardone Porsche 928
“Porsche. There is no substitute.” So declared a youthful Tom Cruise in 1983’s Risky Business, not long before dropping his dad’s 928 into a lake. If it is a modern take on Porsche’s supercoupe you want, then look no further than France’s Nardone Automotive. The curvaceous bodywork is recreated in carbon fiber, the interior is lavishly re-trimmed, there’s active suspension, and the V-8 is upgraded to 400 hp.
Officine Fioravanti Ferrari Testarossa
From arcade favorite Outrun to Miami Vice, the Ferrari Testarossa took over our small screens in the ’80s. Some 40 years later Switzerland’s Officine Fioravanti has redefined the redhead, uprating the flat-12 engine to 510 hp and cutting 266 pounds in weight from the car. Öhlins adjustable dampers are fitted, and there’s ABS brakes and traction control, too.
Automobili Amos Lancia Delta Integrale Futurista
The Lancia Delta Integrale dominated the real World Rally Championship and the virtual one in Sega World Rally Championship, winning legions of fans the world over. Italian coachbuilder Automobili Amos reimagined the Lancia with a widebody kit built from carbon and aluminum. The company didn’t stop there; it also added an overhauled engine that makes over 330 hp.
Manhart BMW M3
German über-tuner Manhart also offers an interpretation of the Integrale, but the Bavarian’s version of the box-arched BMW E30 M3 is its most bodacious restomod. To meet Touring Car regs, the original M3 had a 2.3-liter four-cylinder motor; Manhart removed it in favor of a 3.5-liter turbocharged six from the Alpina B7. The engine is further fettled to produce 405 hp, and the car is lightweighted with lashings of carbon. Coilover suspension, beefed-up brakes, and a leather-lined interior complete the package.
Eccentrica Lamborghini Diablo
The words subtle and Lamborghini aren’t usually uttered in the same sentence, but Eccentrica’s updates of the Diablo are quite low-key. There’s some smoothing out of the nose, including installation of modern lighting, and a gentle stretching of the body all round, along with some aero work and bigger, 19-inch rims. Inside it’s Alcantara and eight-bit digital displays, while the 5.7-liter V-12 gets new internals to boost power to 550 hp, allowing for a top speed of 220 mph.
Legende Automobiles Renault 5 Turbo 3
This car may have originated in France, but the Americans were the ones to turn the Renault 5 Turbo 2 into the Turbo 3. California’s Legende Automobiles has gone to town with an even wider carbon body for the mighty-but-mini, mid-engined Frenchie. The 1.4-liter four-cylinder motor is boosted beyond all reason, producing 400 hp and driving through a sequential transmission.
Peugeot 205 GTi Tolman Edition
The 205 GTi was the affordable hot hatch that every ’80s boy or girl racer wanted, including British engineer Chris Tolman, who has now given the 205 extra pace and grace. Bilstein suspension and a highly-tuned 1.6- or 1.9-liter engine are fitted, providing up to 200 hp, while over 700 hours of labor go into making sure the car is assembled to modern standards.
Niels van Roij Fiat Panda Piccolo Lusso
Dutch designer Niels van Roij has marked the 40 anniversary of the Fiat Panda 4×4 with a delightful restomod. The emphasis is on style, with a classy Azzurro Blu paint job and a Mediterranean leather interior that’s far fancier than any Panda has seen before. Teak wood decking in the trunk adds a slightly nautical feel. It’s a one-off for now, but it’s great to see even the most inexpensive of ’80s icons getting some resto love.
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Interesting article and comments. While I would not “resto-mod” a low mileage original car, the fact is a lot of 80’s and 90’s cars are high mileage and finding parts is not easy making them good candidates for modifications.
I bought a low mileage 1990 Corvette to enjoy as a cruiser and it had “issues”. After a few “experts” looked at the car and could not get it to run reliably I read all the books and figured it out. I worked in aerospace and have restored a few 50’s and 60’s cars that gave me some advantage. After a year the 90 Corvette ran great and everything worked AND I SOLD IT. What a PITA sorting out all the high tech and trying to find new or good used parts.
I’ve ridden in a Delorean and it was a rattle trap and at only about 40,000 miles. The DeLorean could use a good “restomod” upgrade.
As for the Porsche — the 1997 through 2005 engine IMS issue makes these cars relatively worthless unless the engines are upgraded. I see a future market for these IMS engined cars to be modified.
I’m always disappointed when I look under the hood of a shiny 1930’s American car and see yet another LS. I hope all those folks have given the missing parts to someone who can use them in a restoration. In whatever condition, they’re at least a starting point.
(Note to Davo – Fireflite. I had two 1955’s.)
I’m only interested in American cars!!!!!
None of them stand out enough to alter.
Woof. What dogs. I’ve seen an LS swapped Delorean. I can’t imagine what all that extra heft is doing back there. The car is not mid-engine as a lot of people say, engine is behind the center of the rear wheels. The rest ain’t ‘Mercan made. ( either is Delorean). If’n it ain’t ‘Mercan, most of the car people I know agree, it ain’t cool.
The LS can be had in all aluminum, The LS1/2/3 used in cars is often lighter than what it replaces. The truck engines are the heavier of the group.
Have you checked out “content levels” of cars and trucks lately? I believe the Camry was highest last I read, America manufacturers have been outsourcing parts since the sixties.
It would be interesting to know how much these cars cost.
Nardone Porsche 928? Does it count when the car is still only a rendition. The website is all of two pages. How did this rate inclusion?
I agree with several of the comments. I am an old 50s car guy. However I am turning one of my cars into a resto-mod because I WANT TO DRIVE AND ENJOY IT. My 392 Chrysler dual quad hemi [10.5 : 1 compression ratio] gets 9.5 mpg and will only burn high octane racing fuel or airplane gas. I am installing a 5.7 L Dodge hemi engine and trans that should get over 20 mpg on pump gas from any gas station on any street in the US. That’s the down side of being a poor boy.
The Renault R5 turbo was already “rad” when it was introduced in the late ’70s. This “Legende” isn’t nearly as rad as the original Turbo, let alone the R5Turbo 2 (which had a standard A5 interior and seats, with steel doors, roof and deck). Double wishbone suspension was standard on the production cars, which could easily exceed 1G lateral on the 195/50/15 and 285/40/15 tires. Sure, it has “400 HP”… maybe. I wonder, “What’s the point?”. I have owned and restored R5turbos for more than 30 years, and find that they are just fine (and reliable) in their original form. They are still quick, and lots of fun to drive, besides now being 6 figure cars in reasonable shape. The last versions, the “8221” models, have an alloy roof and the taller 1.5 liter engines, as well as being worth between $20,000~30,000 more valuable than the plebeian 8220 R5Turbo 2. Note that other than the roof and the slightly (50cc) larger displacement, they are identical in every way, including performance. One thing that Legende can’t do for you is give you a car that you can register in CA. Search a little and you can buy a CA registered, legal R5Turbo or Turbo 2, and probably save some money, as well as having a reasonable upside in value over time.
Wheels are not rims although they do have them.